Evolutionary chimeras: a Woesian perspective of radical innovation

Abstract

This article proposes a novel perspective of technological change based on the ‘Woesian’ model of cell evolution to study technological change and, in particular, the origins of radical innovation. The model identifies horizontal gene transfer (HGT) as a critical force that drives evolution and complements the Darwinian theory of vertical inheritance. Building on this model, we highlight the key role of the horizontal transfer of functional modules in generating radical innovation as well as strengthening the analogy between biological and technological evolution. We use the turbojet revolution to illustrate the main features of the model and elucidate the conditions under which horizontal transfer is a crucial evolutionary force leading to radical innovation. We then elaborate on the implications of the model for how firms should search for radical innovation, as well as emphasize the importance of a firm’s replicative-integrative capability—that is, the ability to ‘replicate with modifications’ existing functional modules and integrate them into a novel architecture—in shaping the generation of radical innovation.

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